Homeless Children: An Untold Reality

By: Faarzana, Salmie, Amirul Aiman & Zul Khairi

A harmony and progressive country like Malaysia sealed an untold story behind it. A city light at night become the only beam that witness loneliness and emptiness of homeless children especially in Kuala Lumpur and others city in Malaysia. The developing of the country had neglected this minority from having the same benefits like other citizens. 

Most of the homeless children are being abandon from both their parents who working late night and this will lead them to be engaged with social security problem like sexual abuse, human trafficking and others crimes. There is also homeless children who are refugees such as Rohingya and also illegal child who their mother a sex workers that make their home as place for that unhealthy activity. Does this untold realities are irritating? This unlucky minority had gone through a hard time to keep their survival. 

The numbers of homeless children or street kids is increasingly and worrying as this will lead to other unhealthy social problems. As said by UNICEF, in Malaysia, children living on the streets include undocumented children, stateless children and children of migrants. Some children may have run away from home, often in response to psychological, physical or sexual abuse. Those children without right birth registration will deny their benefits from having good education and healthcare.

According to an Inter-NGO Program on street children and youth, a street child is “any girl or boy who has not mature and reach adulthood level, for whom the street has become his or her usual sojourn and source of livelihood, and who is deficient protected, directed, and look over by responsible adults.”

IMPACTS ON HOMELESS CHILDREN

The analogy is simple-

What if: a herd of sheep release naked in sahara among wilderness—among lions and cheetah? 

The cheetah and wilderness represent city and rough black hazardous environment, while sheep is symbolic to homeless kid or children.

The rough environment will shape and affect the children, while other kids enjoying pencil and book with guidance from teacher,homeless will enjoy their day with daydream or loitering around their neighbourhood without proper education. They will repeat the cycle of their parents life. In 2012 level of illiterate in Malaysia is 37,504 from 468,808 SPM candidates. (Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,2012)

From 468,808 students are taking SPM in 2012, how about homeless? Are they seat for SPM too?

Children are persona from their elder, parents, brothers and who they friends with, the other effect of homeless is the margin of crime rapidly increase day by day. Their father as drug dealer, while sister and mother as prostitute and friend join the gangster club to try fit in the society. They are the 'noir' side of Kuala Lumpur-Chow kit. Are you sure they will became “Imam Muda’ after being raised in this black society—sure they can. But in one fine day.

ACT AND NGO's INVOLVING HOMELESS CHILDREN

            The Child Act 2001 [Act 611] was enacted in our country to fulfil its obligation under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) which is in 1995 and the goals of CRC are to uphold its commitment to the protection and welfare of her children. This was a major step for the country.

Act 611’s preamble provides that every child is entitled to protection and assistance in all circumstances without regard to distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, social origin or physical, mental or emotional disabilities or any status. In addition, the provisions of Act 611 are based on the four core principles of the CRC that is, non-discrimination, best interest of the child, the right to life, survival and development and respect for the views of the child.

Apart from that, the Act also established the National Council for the Protection of Children, which advises the Government on child protection issues while the National Advisory and Consultative Council for Children acts as a national focal point for children's well-being and development.

Act 611 also requires the setting up of Child Protection Teams and Child Activity Centres at both state and district levels. For instance, it is aimed at mobilising community participation in the implementation of preventive and rehabilitative programmes, these initiatives are targeted for children at risk or children vulnerable to all forms of abuse and exploitation.

There are following non-governmental groups that are working to respect and uphold the rights of children in our country such as Malaysian Child Resource Institute, Childline Malaysia, Malaysia Care, National Early Childhood Intervention Council, Protect and Save the children, Voice of Children, and Yayasan Chow Kit.

CONCLUSION

In a nutshell, those unlucky homeless children who being neglected apart from the developing world should have a better place and it is not only one responsibility as this issue takes more than that to combat these social problems. Lack of love and attention towards their needs had made them become vulnerable and a good approach from NGO and leader of community are needed. The NGO in our country especially should uphold the principles and provisions of the CRC such as the General Principles of the CRC concerning non-discrimination, the best interests of the child, the right to life and survival and development and the right of the child to express their views freely.

DEBAT

CIA DAN TEORI KONSPIRASI KEHILANGAN MH370 

Berdasarkan artikel yang dipaparkan dalam Mingguan Malaysia pada 6 April 2014 yang bertajuk CIA dan teori konspirasi hilangnya MH370, saya menyokong dengan artikel yang berkenaan kerana terdapat banyak kemungkinan besar boleh dikaitkan dengan teori yang diterangkan oleh penulis.

Kehilangan pesawat MH370 dalam penerbangan dari KLIA ke Beijing, China yang membawa 239 penumpang dan anak kapal sangat misteri kerana dilaporkan hilang dan  melencong jauh dari laluan ke Beijing. Dan akhirnya, telah dilaporkan berakhir di tengah Lautan Hindi. Namun begitu, pelbagai persoalan muncul apabila insiden ini dikatakan  hilang namun tiada kaitan dengan kemalangan mahupun rampasan.

Artikel tersebut ada mengatakan jumlah penumpang warga China ini menjadi kata kunci kepada teori konspirasi kehilangan MH370 kerana ini berkait dengan hubungan politik dan ekonomi Malaysia - China di tahap sangat baik hingga dicemburui oleh sesetengah kuasa besar. Pada pandangan saya, cara pemikiran penulis tentang artikel ini adalah logik dan saya bersetuju kerana berkemungkinan besar adalah betul.

MH 370 yang hilang sejak 8 Mac lalu masih tidak menemukan apa-apa jawapan.

Di samping itu, penulis juga ada memberi pandangan bahawa tragedi tersebut telah dirancang oleh pihak tertentu untuk menjejaskan hubungan Malaysia dengan China. Dalam pada itu, penulis juga ada menyamakan akan tragedi serangan ke atas Pusat Dagangan Dunia (WTC) di New York pada 11 September 2001 dirancang oleh Agensi Perisikan Pusat (CIA) dan  ini adalah kemungkinan besar  tragedi MH 370 adalah tidak mustahil dapat dikaitkan dengan CIA.

Selain itu, pada pandangan saya, cara penulisan artikel mengenai MH 370 adalah kreatif dan diterima akal kerana ia mengajak kita berfikir di luar kotak dan menolak daripada berfikir seperti berfikir di luar kotak yang dibina oleh AS. Contohnya, artikel tersebut memberi pandangan jauh dan jawapan di sebalik apa yang berlaku serta pemahaman tentang CIA dan tragedi serangan ke atas Pusat Dagangan Dunia serta CNN. 

Dalam pada itu, artikel ini cuba menarik pemahaman orang luar tentang CNN kelihatan begitu beremosi apabila Malaysia tidak membenarkan CIA mengetuai pencarian pesawat MH370 dan bertindak menyemarakkan kemarahan keluarga penumpang warga China hingga menggugatkan hubungan Malaysia - China. Dan bagi saya, artikel ini sangat menarik kerana cuba untuk menimbulkan rasa sangsi dan ragu dalam kalangan rakyat.

Saya juga bersetuju artikel tersebut menyatakan bahawa ia telah mengeruhkan hubungan diplomatik dan ekonomi antara kedua-dua negara. Hal ini demikian kebergantungan Malaysia kepada China dalam ekonomi sangat tinggi dan MH370 telah memberikan kesan yang sangat besar.

Oleh sebab itu, saya menyokong akan artikel tersebut kerana kita mestilah mempunyai rasa curiga dengan pihak luar yang mempunyai sejarah liarnya serta agenda yang tersembunyi. Pada pandangan kasar saya, adalah betul bahawa tidak semua pandangan yang dianggap 'karut' dan 'tidak masuk akal' hanya teori konspirasi kosong semata-mata.

BACA SELANJUTNYA

ANALYSIS OF ONLINE CURRENT ISSUE

SMARTPHONES ADDICTION 

Based on assignment given which is about analysis of online current issue, the title is about “We’re addicted to our phones: 84% worldwide say they couldn’t go a single day without their mobile device in their hand”. The article was published by New York Daily News on 16^th August 2012. It storied that the rise of using smartphones and this became more to a trend and then came out bad effects to people and in society.

The main issue that we can portray here is about smartphones which are always brings bad Samarintans to us nowadays. If we do not think smartphones have changed the world, we have not been paying attention. Maybe probably because we were too busy flipping between apps on our smartphone. In my opinion, people are more connected now than they have ever been before thanks to smartphones and the mobile internet, but it is all that connectivity causing us to lose our connection with people around us. Therefore, to me, yes, smartphones are turning us into bad Samarintans.

Smartphones addiction happens around the world

John Paul Dickie in his writing also agrees that smartphones usually present immoral effects rather good ones. In his article, he stated that many strong reasons that teenagers should not to get smartphones early. In addition, smartphones always influence young minds and stimulate them to have a phone without reasonable cause. Smartphones can be used to bully other teenagers through advanced messaging features which are available on smartphones and also apps which can be downloaded. Social networking apps can be added to smartphones functionality and can be used for cyber bullying through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Apart from that, our use of technology has fundamentally changed not just our awareness in public spaces but our sense of duty to others. Engaged with the glowing screens in front of us rather than with the people around us, we often honestly do not notice what is going on. Adding to the problem is the ease with which we can record and send images, which encourages those of us who are paying attention to document emergencies rather than deal with them.

Last not least, smartphones are also making the rise of phubbing around the world. Phubbing can be defined as the act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention. For example, to describe the kind of person who bursts out laughing mid-conversation, making you think you have made a brilliant joke, and then says: "Sorry, I was not laughing at you, I just saw something really funny on Twitter." Or the sort of who think it is appropriate to check their emails in the pub when you only have each other for company. Or the tedious people who live-tweet weddings.

Smartphones cause the rise of phubbing around the world

Many advertising campaign done to stop phubbing

READ MORE

ONLINE FEATURE

Online Journalism is a radical and dissidence in character

Online journalism basically defines as ‘quality news and information posted on the World Wide Web, where people can read, see, hear it through their computers and other similar devices’( Wolk 2001:6).

Sometimes it plays the role as radical and dissidence in character. According to Dr Rahmat Ghazali, lecturer of UiTM, in his book, Online Journalism on Malaysian Socio-Political Landscapes, online journalism promotes feelings of discontentment within the society with regards to speculative, defamation, libellous, negative criticisms and irresponsible discourses that may expose interethnic relation as well as the dignity of the nation. They are seen contributory to social tension because the stories posted are seemingly lacking a discipline of verification. For that reason the obligation to the truth is likely to be ignored and would lead to fallacy, speculative and sensationalised pieces. The implication would be underlying to social tension when defamation, libellous, seditious, and racism materials were posted and globally accessed.

Online journalism can be considered as radical, as the existence of anti-government bloggers, voice out their views opposed the government agendas. As well, the alternative websites established in order to disseminate the information towards the target audience. As an instance, the emergence of alternative media websites such as Malaysiakini and Harakah Daily in late 1999 proved that Malaysian online journalists continue to innovate.

In addition, online journalism is not profit-oriented. Compared to most traditional media that broadcasts news for the sake of profit, writers of online news are more “straight-forward” in presenting their ideas and this shows that online journalism as radical. It is also that the barriers to entry are low. If compared to traditional media, which are controlled by “professional writers”, basically anyone can write via the internet. All it needs is a computer, an internet connection; software (Weblog, Blogger) and we are set to go. This makes it easier for anyone to become a “news writer”. So basically, anyone can write whatever they feel appropriate.

 Online journalism is more interesting rather than traditional media

Besides, they will basically write whatever they feel like writing; and some of them are unethical because of the use of punitive languages to criticize or comment on a certain issue. This makes online journalism ever more radical when it comes to criticizing a certain issue.

It also promotes a two way communication. As an instance, whatever issue is being published online, readers can post their comment and share thoughts regarding the issue. These thoughts will then contribute to the issue, demanding action from the parties involved and it will portray the resistance of online journalism.

Last but not least, it is usually assumed that information is what we already have such as it is all around us. It is democracy what the online journalism seeks. They want each and every issue told by certain parties to be justified especially, the reasons. However, sometimes, it is still up to the authority to pass it on as a national issue or just put it aside. Therefore, online journalists will express their feelings of anxiety and regret through radical writing because it is the only way that people, including the authority would pay attention to them.